There's no doubt that the Rutgers University football program wouldn't be at 5-1 without its special teams and for the second time this season Monday, a player, senior cornerback Brandon Jones, earned the Big East Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors. In a Rutgers victory over Navy, 21-20, Saturday, Jones blocked a possible game-winning 34-yard field goal by Jon Teague with 4:43 remaining in the game.
"I thought Brandon Jones did it exactly as he was coached, extended his body — sacrificed his body," said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. "Do you know how much that hurts when you lay out and land? It doesn’t feel real good. That was a heck of an effort."
Jones also caught his second career interception in the win.
Also being reconized this week were Rutgers juniors, linebacker Khaseem Greene and wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, who each made the Big East honor roll. Greene made a collegiate-best 14 tackles, while Sanu caught 10 balls for 100 yards.
Meanwhile, the University of Cincinnati's senior running back Isaiah Pead earned the Offensive Player of the Week, while the University of Connecticut's freshman defensive back Byron Jones won the Defensive Player Of the Week.
Pead ran for 151 yards and scored the go-ahead TD with 50-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter to help the Bearcats earn a 25-16 victory over the University of Louisville. Meanwhile, Jones scooped up a third-quarter fumble and ran it 10 yards into the end zone to help the Huskies beat the University of South Florida, 16-10.